Time-circuit-controlling apparatus.



No; 779,249; PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. J. M. ANDERSBN.

TIME CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED D3014, 1903.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

J. M. ANDERSEN.

TIME'CIRGUIT CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DBO 14. 1903v 5 SKEETS-SHEET 2.

1720622607. MQM 7 $6M wk PATENTED JAN. 8, 1905.

J M. ANDERSEN. TIME CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.14. 1903.

5 SHEETS SHEBT 3.

PATENTBD JAN. 3, 1905.

J. M. ANDERSEN. TIME CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 13110.14, 1903.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

No. 779,249. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

J. M. ANDERSEN. TIME CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED D20. 14. 1903.

-5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

' zg' lnesaca. v Izzpezztan Patented anuary 3, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JOHAN M. ANDERSEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ALBERT ANDERSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIIV IE-CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 110. 779,249, dated January 3, 1905.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J oHAN M. ANDERs EN, a

citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Circuit-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a circuit-controling apparatus which is adapted to be operated at predetermined intervals of time.

The invention is particularly well adapted, among other uses, to be employed in stores and other places for controlling electric circuits, and especially the circuit of electric lamps, whereby the lamps may be automatically included in the circuit at a predetermined time and automatically cutout of circuit at another predetermined time. For this purpose I employ a circuit-controller, a clock mechanism, and an intermediate mechanism which is governed by said clock mechanism and which in turn automatically effects the operation of said circuit-controller at predetermined intervals of time. Provision is made for automatically removing the circuit-controller from the influence of the clock mechanism for a predetermined length of time without interfering with the running of said clock mechanism, as will be described.

Another feature of the invention consists in making provision for relieving the clock mechanism from severe work, which might interfere with its accurate operation, as will be described.

These and otherfeatures of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of apparatus embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 looking toward the right, the back plate being removed; Fig. 4, a section on the line 4 4:, Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a detail in plan, on an en- Application filed December 14, 1903. Serial No. 185,003.

larged scale, to be referred to; Fig. 7, a section on the line 7 7, Fig. 6; Fig. 8, a sectional detail, on .an enlarged scale, to be referred to; Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive, details, on an enlarged scale, to be referred to; and Figs. 13, 1A, and 15, details, on an-enlarged scale, of the circuit-controller shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 14 being a section on the line 14: 14, Fig. 13.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, (t represents a clock mechanism of any suitable or usual construction, which is secured by the screws 7) in a chamber 0, formed by a partition-wall (Z, forming part of a supporting frame or casing for the operating parts of the mechanism. The casing referred to is provided with a door or removable front a and with a removable back plate f. The clock mechanism a is inclosed in the chamber 0 by a plate or cover g and a layer or pad h of felt or other suitable material to render the chamber 0 dust-proof. The arbors of the minute and hour hands 21 7 of the clock a are extended through the pad it and plate g and through a dished-shaped plate or disk m secured to the plate 9. Between the disk at and the plate 9 is located a gear 01., (indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 1,) which is fast on the arbor of the hour-hand j and which meshes with a large gear 0, provided near its circumference with radially-extended slots 7), arranged at substantially equal distances apart around the circumference of said gear. (See Fig. 1.) The gear 0, as herein shown, is loose on a sleeve 10, (see Fig. 7,) extended through a hollow boss 12 on the partition-wall (Z. In the present instance the hollow boss 12 has extended through it four sleeves 1O 14 15 16 of different lengths and one within the other, the innermost sleeve 16 being mounted on a rod or spindle 17, provided with nuts 18 19 at its opposite ends. The sleeves 10, 14:, 15, and 16 have secured to them at one end four arms 20 21 22 23, having fingers 24:, 25, 26, and 27, which are adapted to project into any one of the slots 39 in the gear 0, so as to lock said sleeves to said gear to turn therewith. The sleeves 10,14, 15, and 16 have secured to their opposite ends curved dogs or arms 28 29 30 31, which cooperate with a curved arm 32 on a sleeve 33, loose on a pivot-pin 34, secured to the partition-wall (Z. The sleeve 33 has secured to or forming part of it an escapement-bar 35,(see Figs. 2 and 3,) provided at its opposite ends with fingers or projections 36 37, with which cooperates a detent-lever 38 on a shaft 39, supported by the partition-wall (Z, the detent-lever having two arms 40 41, which are adapted to be alternately brought into engagement with the escapement-bar 35, as will be described. The escapement-bar 35 is adapted to be moved in one direction by either of the cams or dogs 28 29 3O 31 and in the opposite direction by a spring 43, (see Fig. 3,) the movement of the said escapementbar by the said spring being limited by a stoppin 44, secured to the wall (Z. The shaft 39 has fast on it a disk 50, to which is eccentriccally connected one end of a link 51, which is operatively connected to the movable contact member of a switch or circuit-controller, as will be described. In the present instance the ,link 51 is composed of three parts or pieces,

the intermediate piece 52 being of insulating material. (See Figs. 1 and 14.) The link 51 is provided at its free end with an elongated slot 53, through which extends the connecting-pin 54 (see Figs. 1, 8, and 13) of toggle-levers 55 56, connected with the movable member of the circuit-controller, as will be described. The lever 55 is pivoted at 57 to a support, which may be made as herein shown (see Figs. 1, 8, and 14) and consists of metal arms 59, extended from a base 60, fastened, as by screws 61, to a block or piece 62 of insulating material, located within a chamber or compartment 63 in the inclosing casing of the apparatus. The lever 56 is pivoted at 64 to arms 65, attached to a bar 66, secured to a support or carrier 67 for the movable member or members 68 of the circuit-controller, the carrier 67 being of insulating material. In the presentinstance the movable member 68 is composed of three contact members or brushes which are adapted to engage with line-terminals 69, fastened to an insulating piece or block 169 within the compartment 63 and to connect the same with corresponding terminals 70, which are joined by fuses 71 with the line-terminals 72. The lever 56 is provided with a finger 73, which is adapted to be engaged with the bar 66 to limit the movement of the toggle-levers in their straightened position, as represented in Fig. 1. The movable member is actuated by a motor, shown as a spring 80 (see Figs. 1 and 9) coiled upon a shaft 81 within a drum 82 and having one end suitably fastened to the shaft 81 and the other end to the drum 82. The drum 82 has attached to it a gear 83, which meshes with a pinion 84 on the shaft 39 of the disk 50. The shaft 81 is supported by a suitable framework, secured to the partition-wall (Z, as by the screws 85, and comprising the plates 86 87. The shaft 81 has fast on it a ratchet-wheel 88, with which cooperates a pawl 89, pivoted to a gear 90, which is loose on the shaft 81, the said gear meshing with a pinion 91, which meshes with a pinion 92 on a shaft 93, having fast on it a gear 94, which meshes with the gear 0. The gear 90 has suitably secured to itaspring 96, which holds the pawl 89 in engagement with the ratchet-wheel 88. The spring 80 in the present instance has a double function, namely: It serves to rotate the eccentric-disk and operate the movable member of the switch and also serves to drive the gear 0, thereby assisting the clock a and relieving the latter from work, so that the clock (a has no excessive work imposed upon. it, consequently insuring reliable working of the ap paratus.

The operation of the apparatus as thus far described will now be briefly set forth. As represented in Fig. 1, the circuit-controller is in its closed position and the clock (a indicates seven in the morning, all the selecting devices or fingers 2O 21 22 23 are engaged with the slotp in line with the numeral 7 on the half of the gear marked Day, and the tripping-dogs 28 29 30 31 move as one piece and are about to move out of engagement with the escapement-lug 32. Under these circumstances the tripping-dogs in their rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow 100, Fig. 3, turn the escapement-lever on its pivot, so as to disengage the finger 36 from the arm 40 of the detent-lever 38 and permit the spring 80 to rotate the disk 50 a suificient distance to bring the arm 40 into engagement with the linger or projection 37 on the escapement-lever. This partial rotation of the disk 50 moves the link 51 without moving the toggle-levers 56, which is permitted by the slot 53 in said link, one end of the slot being thus engaged with the center-pin 54 of the toggle-levers, thereby placing the link into effective engagement with said levers, so that as soon as the tripping-dogs 28 29 3O 31 pass out of engagement with the lug or arm 32 on the escapement-lever the latter is drawn back by the spring 43 and is disengaged from the detent-lever 38, which releases the disk 50 and permits the spring 80 to turn the said disk quickly, and thereby open the circuit-controller substantially in an instant. The disk 50 is thus given substantially a half-revolution, and its movement is arrested by the arm 41 of the detent-lever 38 engaging the linger 36 of the escapement-lever 35, which latter is relieved from injury occasioned by the detent-lever 38 striking the linger 36 by the spring 105, carried by the disk and encircling a pin 106, whose head is engaged by the other arm of the detent-lever. The switch or circuit-controller remains open until it is again desired to close the circuit, which may be, for instance, at seven oclock in the evening. In this case one of the time selecting-arms for instance, the arm 23is turned and its finger 27 is inserted in the slot p in line with the numeral 7 on the night side of the gear 0, the latter being divided by the line 107 into two partsor halves, one of which is marked Day and the other Night in Fig. 1. Assume the arm 23 in the position just described, which is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this case the switch remains open until in the revolution of the gear 0 the arm 23 has been moved from its dotted-line position in Fig. 1 to that indicated by full lines. During this movement of the gear 0 and arm 23 the tripping-dog 31 is moved into engagement with the arm 32 and the escapement-lever 35 is operated, as above described,

'to release the lever 38 and disk 50 and permit the latter to be given a forward half-turn back into the position shown in Fig. 3, there by moving the link 51 in the direction indicated by the arrow 110, Fig. 3, which moves the toggle-levers 55 56 and the movable member of the circuit-controller into the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby closing the circuit. If it is desired to open or close the circuit at any other time during the day or night, one or more of the selecting devices or arms 20 to 23, inclusive, are engaged with the slots 39 in the gear 0 corresponding to the desired time or times. In the present instance I have herein shown the apparatus as provided with four selecting arms or devices; but I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as any desired number of such arms or devices may be used.

In some instances it may be desirable to remove the circuit-controller from the in fiuence of the clock mechanism for a predetermined length of time as, for instance, it may be desirable not to have the switch operated during Sunday and yet have the clock continue to run. For this purpose the detent-lever 38 has cooperating with it a dog or arm 120, fast on spindle 121, extended through the partitionwall d and supported by a frame detachably secured to the said partition-wall by screws 122 and consisting of the plates 123 124. (See Fig. 12.) The spindle 121 has secured to it a pointer 125, which cooperates with a dial 126, having graduations indicative of days of the week. The spindle 121 is adapted to be driven from the gear 0, which meshes with a gear 130 on a shaft 131, provided with a pinion 132, which meshes with a gear 133 on .a shaft 13, provided with a pinion 135, which meshes with a gear 136 on the spindle 121. The gearing between the spindle 121 and the gear 0 is arranged and timed so that a complete revolution of the gear 0 will move the pointer 125 one graduation or step and seven complete revolutions of the gear 0 will eflect one revolution of the shaft or spindle 121 and the dog 120, attached thereto. The dog 120 is arranged with relation to the detent-level 38 so that the path of movement of the dog intercepts the path of movement of the detent-lever, and by reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the dog 120 at one period of its revolution may engage one arm of the detentlever and turn the said lever so as to remove its other arm from engagement with the escapement-lever 35. In the present instance the dog 120 is adapted to engage the arm 41 of the detent-lever and turn it on its pivot, thereby moving the arm 10 back away from the finger 36 of the escapement-lever. Consequently when the'tripping-dogs move the escapement-lever 35 no action on the switch takes place, as the detent-lever and the disk 50 are held or prevented from rotating by the dog 120 until the latter has been moved out of engagement with the detent-lever. The dog 120 and the gearing which rotates it may be designated the switch-cutout mechanism, and while I may prefer to use it I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as in some cases it is not needed and may be dispensed with. So, also, Ihaveherein shown one form of circuit-controller which I may prefer; but I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as any other suitable or desired form of circuit-controller may be used.

It is to be observed that in the embodiment of the invention herein shown the gear 0 is driven by the spring or motor 80 and also by the clock a, which latter acts as a regulator for the motor.

I claim 1. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a clock mechanism, a gear provided with slots arranged about its circumference and indicative of different periods of time, a plurality of selective devices adapted to engage said slots, a plurality of tripping dogs or arms movable with said selective devices, an escapement-bar cooperating with said tripping-dogs, a detent-lever cooperating with said escapement-bar, a shaft on which said detent-lever is mounted, a disk fast on said shaft, a motor mechanism to rotate said shaft and disk, a link or bar eccentrically connected with said disk, a circuit-controller provided with a movable member to which said link or bar is connected, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a clock mechanism, a gear provided with slots arranged about its circumference and indicative of diiferent periods of time, a plurality of selective devices adapted to engage said slots, a plurality of tripping dogs orarms movable with said selective devices, an escapement-bar cooperating with said tripping-dogs, a detent-lcver cooperating with said escapement-bar, a shaft on which said detentlever is mounted, a disk fast on said shaft, a motor mechanism to rotate said shaft and disk, gearingconnecting said motor mechanism with said slotted gear, a link or bar eccentrically connected with said disk, and a circuit-controller provided with a movable member to which said link or bar is connected, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a clock mechanism, a gear provided with slots arranged about its circumference and indicative of different periods of time, a plurality of selective devices adapted to engage said slots, a plurality of tripping dogs or arms movable with said selective devices, an escapement-bar cooperating with said tripping-dogs, adetent-lever cooperating with said escapement-bar, a shaft on which said detent-lever is mounted, a disk fast on said shaft, a motor mechanism to rotate said shaft and disk, a link or bar eccentrically connected with said disk, a circuit-controller provided with a movable member to which said link or bar is connected, a cut-out device cooperating with said dctent-lever, and gearing for actuating said cut-out device, said gearing being driven by said slotted gear, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a clock mechanism, a rotatable disk driven by said clock mechanism and provided with slots extended substantially radially therein, a plurality of sleeves extended through said disk, a plurality of arms secured to said sleeves at one side or face of said disk and provided with fingers arranged on said arms at different distances from the center of said disk to enter the slots in said disk at different distances from the center thereof, dogs or arms secured to said sleeves on the opposite side of said disk, and mechanism controlled by said dogs or arms, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a circuit controller provided with a movable member, a motor to move said member, a time-train or clock mechanism, mechanism operated by said clock mechanism for releasing said motor mechanism at a predetermined time to permit said motor mechanism to operate the movable member of said circuit-con troller. and gearingconnecting said motor mechanism with said clock mechanism to effect the regulation of said motor mechanism by said clock mechanism, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, aclock mechanism, a gear driven by said clock mechanism and provided with peripheral teeth and with slots extended radially from said teeth, a plurality of arms having fingers movable over said gear in dili'erent circular paths and adapted to enter said slots at different distances from the center of said gear, and mechanism controlled by said arms, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a circuit-controller, mechanism to operate it, a clock mechanism, a gear driven by said clock mechanism, and a selective mechanism governing the operation of said circuitcontroller and comprising a rotatable disk provided with teeth on its periphery in mesh with said gear and with slots extended radially from said teeth, and an arm movable over said disk and adapted to engage said slots, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a clock mechanism, a gear driven thereby, a slotted disk provided with teeth on its periphery which mesh with said gear, an arm or device movable over said disk and cooperating with said slots to move with said disk, a shaft extended through said slotted disk, a dog or arm fast on said shaft on the opposite side of said disk, and mechanism controlled by said dog or arm, substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a clock mechanism, aslotted disk driven by said clock mechanism, an arm or device movable over said disk and cooperating with said slots to move with said disk, mechanism controlled by said arm, and means actuated by said disk to remove the mechanism controlled by said arm from the influence of said arm, substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a clock mechanism, a gear provided with teeth on its periphery and having slots extended radially from said teeth, a gear driven by said clock mechanism and meshing with the peripheral teeth of said slotted gear, a plurality of arms pivotally movable over said slotted gear and having fingers located at different distances from the center of said slotted gear and adapted to simultaneously enter a slot in said gear, and mechanism controlled by said arms, substantially as described.

11. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a motor mechanism, a device operated by said motor mechanism, a clock mechanism, a device controlled by said clock mechanism and governing the operation of said motor mechanism, and means actuated by said motor mechanism for moving the device which is actuated by the clock mechanism, substantially as described.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a clock mechanism, a rotatable disk driven by said clock mechanism and pro vided with slots extended substantially radially therein, a plurality of arms pivotally mounted to move over said disk and provided with fingers arranged on said arms at different distances'from the center of said disk, andmechanism controlled by said arms, substantially as described.

13. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination a motor mechanism, a circuitcontroller operated by said motor mechanism, a clock mechanism, a rotatable device controlled by said clock mechanism and governing the operation of said motor mechanism,

secured, a plurality of dogs secured to said sleeves, and mechanism controlled by said dogs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name I 5 to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

JOHAN M. ANDERSEN.

Vitnesses:

J AS. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY. 

